As we have stepped into 2025, the world keeps on evolving, in a reality shaped by ground-breaking discoveries, shifting societal dynamics and emerging challenges.
We’ve asked some of our UM academics to provide insight into what lies ahead in their diverse fields.
In this piece, we’ve gathered perspectives from leading scholars and researchers to explore their predictions for 2025 – from tech advancements and new economic trends to environmental issues, they shed light on what we can expect this year.
- Prof. Alexiei Dingli, Professor at the Department of Artificial Intelligence
“2025 will mark the dawn of Agentic AI - a revolution that will reshape our relationship with technology for decades. While current AI responds to our commands, these new AI agents will independently tackle tasks like a human assistant. Imagine AI that proactively schedules medical appointments, book holidays, and even anticipate your needs before you express them. The future isn't just about smarter technologies - it's about technologies that work autonomously with us, making our lives easier in ways we're only beginning to imagine.”
- Dr Vanessa Camilleri, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Artificial Intelligence
Virtual spaces are going to change dramatically when AI characters start displaying emotions...They will no longer look and act as just chatbots in a virtual world, but characters that actually remember our conversations and form what feels like genuine emotional connections. We shall have virtual spaces where we can meet with AI characters who actually remember the deep chat we had last week - it could be about our job struggles, or that funny story about the dog and our pet hamsters. This is not necessarily something that feels creepy, but rather weirdly authentic. People are going to start forming real emotional bonds with these AIs, and that's when waves will be created. Tech ethicists and psychologists are going to be scrambling, trying to figure out what it means when a human's best friend turns out to be, well...not human.
“My prediction, or rather wish, is that we’ll have the first ever Maltese staff interpreter (professional linguist facilitating effective communication by interpreting between Maltese and other languages in real time during meetings, conferences or official engagements) at the European Parliament, which will help elevate the status of the Maltese language even further!”
- Prof. Michael Briguglio, Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology
“Some of the more ambitious policies of the Donald Trump Presidency will be proposed in areas such as migration, foreign policy and trade. Meanwhile, the European Union will try to find a way to navigate the global turmoil, within its new political landscape, that includes a shift towards the political right.
Another point would be how social media polarisation and a lack of factual clarity may increase due to the move away from fact-checking. And lastly, I’m fascinated by how or whether there will be political and policy reactions to the above.”
- Prof. Alan Deidun, Professor at the Department of Geosciences
"2025 promises to be yet another watershed year for ocean conservation and for ocean governance, given the organisation of the landmark 3rd UNOC (United Nations Ocean Conference) in Nice, France, between 9 and 13 June 2025. There is a lot of anticipation leading up to this high-profile event given that the conference will involve all relevant stakeholders, bringing together governments, the United Nations system, intergovernmental organisations, international financial institutions, other interested international agencies, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, academic institutions, the scientific community, the private sector, philanthropic organisations, Indigenous peoples and local communities, and other stakeholders to assess the challenges and opportunities related to the implementation of SDG 14 and the measures taken toward that end.
Coupled with the upcoming UNOC 3, one should also mention the ongoing negotiations at the ISA (International Seabed Authority) concerning the imminent start of seabed mining in the High Seas, in the hope that the precautionary principle and sound science will prevail in such negotiations."
- Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino, Professor at the Department of Sociology
There is also a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, and a pushback against the so-called 'wokeness' that has emerged as a central theme in re-energised, right-wing politics. This will continue to shape workplaces, politics and social movements."
- Prof. Georgios Yannakakis, Institute of Digital Games